Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the upcoming surf for Riviere de Galets. This is a reef and point set-up that likes a good SW swell, and we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming our way.

The window kicks off properly on Monday the 20th of July. We've got some solid swell energy building, but it's a bit of a rough start. There’s an 8ft SSW swell rolling in, with a period of 14 seconds, but the wind is cross-on from the SSE. It’s rideable, but it’s not going to be pretty – the water is a touch warmer than normal at 77°, but the surface will be chopped up. The combined energy is strong (2319), so there’s power, but the conditions are marginal.

The best of the early run is Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. The swell drops a little to 7ft from the SSW, but the wind swings to a cross-off from the ENE. That’s a big improvement. The period is 12 seconds, and the energy is still strong (1320), but the report says it’ll be clean. That’s your first real standout. The water is still that touch warmer.

After that, it gets a bit messy. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell drops and the energy fades into the moderate range. You’d be better off waiting.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th stay marginal with cross-shore breezes and a dropping swell. The energy dips to moderate (739-1132), and the waves are small and crumbly with cross-chop.

Then we get a gem. Sunday morning, the 26th of July. It’s small, 4ft from the SW, but the wind is glassy – a WSW breeze at 3 mph. The report says “very good surf conditions.” The period is 13 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell with good shape. The energy is moderate (985), but for a point break, this clean, glassy window will be the best of the first week. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Now, hold onto your board. Monday the 27th of July is a monster. The swell jumps to 13ft from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is massive (8044). The wind is favourable, but the report explicitly says the swell is too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be dangerous. The same goes for the afternoon session with 12ft.

The second week is a more consistent run but with a lot of cross-shore wind. Tuesday the 28th of July has a 7ft SW swell with a 14-second period and clean cross-off wind in the morning. The energy is strong (3340), but the report says it’s still marginal. It’ll be a solid, powerful wave, but not perfect.

We get another big spike on the 1st of August. Saturday morning sees a 10ft SSW swell with a very long period of 17 seconds, and the energy is huge (6080). Again, the report says it’s too big for this break. This is for experts only, and the wind is cross-shore, making it even more challenging.

The last few days of the run, into the 3rd and 4th of August, see the swell dropping back to the 4ft to 6ft range with a mix of cross and light cross-onshore winds. The energy is moderate, and the periods are long, but the conditions are just marginal.

So, to sum it up: the true standout is Tuesday morning, the 21st of July, with a clean 7ft SSW swell. The second best is Sunday morning, the 26th of July, for that glassy, small-wave session. The big stuff on the 27th of July and the 1st of August is for the brave and the experienced only.

This is a spot that is fairly consistent, so even when it’s poor, it doesn’t stay that way for long. Keep an eye on that forecast.

Rusty.

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